


The kings plead to mend (alternate universe)

by Blackoutsgloss



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate universe (hollow knight), Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Heavy Angst, Hollow Knight Spoilers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, The Hollow Knight Needs a Hug (Hollow Knight), The Infection (Hollow Knight), The Pale King Redemption (Hollow Knight), The Pale King is a Good Parent (Hollow Knight), The hollow knight is referred to the pure one sometimes (hollow knight), The pure vessel is referred to the pure one sometimes (hollow knight), everyone needs a hug (hollow knight), the hollow knight gets a actual name (hollow knight), the hollow knight gets a name (hollow knight), the pure vessel gets a name (hollow knight), the pure vessel gets an actual name (hollow knight)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:27:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28876461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackoutsgloss/pseuds/Blackoutsgloss
Summary: Grief stricken, the pale monarch of hollow nest, makes a last minute decision, Realizing a gigantic flaw in his plan, and suffering from extreme guilt from the suffering HE put on his OWNE family.
Relationships: Isma/Ogrim | Dung Defender, Lurien the Watcher/Monomon the Teacher (Hollow Knight), Nailsmith/Nailmaster Sheo (Hollow Knight), The Pale King/White Lady (Hollow Knight), Traitor Lord's Daughter/Ze'mer | Grey Mourner
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Pov is the hollow knight for the prologue.

A large figure hung from the middle of the room, the soft scraping of chains echoing through the un-illuminated room.

it had been several months since they had been sealed away in the black egg.

The pure one held themselves tightly, trying to self sooth their more then violent shaking.

_Their facade had shattered._

Their wide, blank stare feel upon nothing, they were ultimately blinded, all they could see was a light.

_an early symptom of the infection._

_they were going to die_

they had failed, over and over again they repeated that to themselves. 

All because they wanted to keep up some foolish facade to make their father, the pale king.

’proud’

a sudden voice made them almost jump out of their shell.

_Her_

”here you are, trained to your upmost prime from.” The old light started, her voice seeping with mockery. “But, all the training is to WAIST.” the old light hissed loudly, to the point the pure one gripped their head bringing their legs up to their stomach, their head pounding at the sudden boom from her voice.   
  


Breathing harshly they shook their head, as if that would throw the pain out.

“Only if you had the Decency to show your wyrm of your possession of a will to him, but here you are, you could have been thrown back down to the place of your birth. But again here your are they could have had you destroyed , but no your still here, you know you’re better of DEAD.” Her words bit like venom.

The rattling of metal could be heard, the vessel was shaking so badly that even their armor and then eat by chains that suspended them was scrapping and rattling together. Their breathing harsh and shaky as they dug the claws into their arm, so hard it was surprising they didn’t draw blood.

”everyone’s going _die_ to Because of you, all because YOUR SELFISH FACADE!” Her voice boomed, it nearly _deafening_.

the pure one’s claws shot up to their, head, a splitting head ache slammed onto them, opening their mouth into a wide snarl send out an roar of extreme agony, kicking their legs in desperation. Making them swing slightly on the chains, causing them to clatter and scrape together more.

After roaring after a moment silent sobbing started to come from the hanging vessel, black and orange tears streaming down from their face. Their head turned to blindly stare at the ceiling of the temple, despite how silent their tears were.

they were sobbing _violently_.

the fall of hollow nest was coming, and _they_ were to blame.

Not only was their facade shattered.

  
_They were to_.


	2. Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will be varying in length depending how much I want to put in each so the lengths are not guaranteed.

The pale monarch sat on his bed one set of arms folded, resting on his lap. The other supporting his chin slowly blinking, lost in his own mind.

he had barely left the throne room, his study (witch when ever he went their he barely got any work done) and his bed room.

Most of the room was up kept and tidy, except the side that held the queens belongings. All untouched since she had fled.   
  


the pale king couldn’t even bear to sleep on what would be her side of the bed, feeling like the would be a insult to her, even thought she wasn’t even there. It went the same for his child’s room, he hadn’t had the gut to enter the same corridor the room was in ether.  
  


the monarch did not blame his wife at all, the shame for her self and him was to much, hence she left. He would have done the same if he could. He had thought about it several times before... but he wasn’t going to risk putting his kingdom more in peril then it all ready was... 

the wyrm sighed rubbing his face, shakily exhaling, slowly got up. He dicided to actually do something for once, try to actually do his job, try to be at least a bit predictive.

heading towards the door he slowly opened it, about to turn the corner as he closed the door behind him, his kingsmolds standing at attention, as they slowly and silently watched him leave the room, the pale king sharing only a slight glance .

turning the corner he suddenly stopped in his tracks, as he suddenly herd a high pitched familiar voice. “Daddy?” His daughter asked, hornet. As he then quickly turned around. Curling his tail around hims self as he set his gaze onto his daughter “ hornet, your up late.” His voice coming across as cold or dry, even if that was not what was intended.

”actually, it’s the middle of the night.” She said softly in a tired tone, pointing a tiny claw at a grandfather clock at the end of the hallway. Slowly turning his head to look at it it, 2 AM.

the wyrm your pursed his lips, he could have sworn it was the afternoon... he was that far gone?

he then slowly looked back to his daughter “then why are you up so early?” He asked plainly and the tiny spiderling shrugged “I wanted water.” She simply answered her father as she hoped past her father. Even though he had isolated himslef, part of him wanted to fallow her.   
  


but he didn’t want to disturb her, she was just getting water... and he wanted to let her sleep... he knew she also had not been taking the absence of her mother, step mother and sibling vary well ether. 

The pale king looked back at his room for a moment considering trying to go to sleep, but decided against it. He wouldn’t get much of it anyways.

rubbing his face again the headed back to his from after he had grabbed a stack of documents he needed to go over in his study.   
  
As he read he slowly started to drift off into thought, before shaking his head and snapping back to reality as he grumbled and kept trying to pay attention to his work, but ultimately kept getting lost in his thoughts, progressively getting more and more frustrated with himself to the point he shoved the documents rather aggressively onto the end table next to his side of the bed. Before burying his face into a set of hands. Gripping the sheets tightly with his other set of arms, as he growled loudly trembling slightly.   
  


he felt like his sanity was crumbling from under himself. He was trying so hard to pretend everything was fine, he was trying to pretend his mental state was crumbling from under him.   
  


this was all his fault 

his guilt and sh-

his thoughts were suddenly interrupted, as he heard the door open. Whirling around as he jumped and looked at the door way. the kingsmould that had opened the door, was looking at him before they slowly looked down, Their gaze leading to little hornet.

“I couldn’t sleep...” she said quietly as she stood at the door way, waiting for her fathers approval to come in, messing with her dress a little as she looked up at him anticipating an answer.

the pale king shook his head quickly, and pated a spot next to him for her to come sit next to him. She quickly skittered over to his side of the bed he was sitting on. Reaching down he helped her onto the bed (since she had no way to be able to climb on herself) with one set of arms, one of his arms from the other set motioned for his kings mould to shut the door, witch fallowed the command, closing the door with a click.

the pale king set her down gently next to him, about to ask exactly what was keeping her from her slumber, but was ultimately taking back by after visible hesitation climbed onto his lap and warped her tiny arms around him. Leaning against him as he held up his arms not sure what to do with them for a moment before hesitantly wrapping one set of arms around her and the other set having one slowly paying her head, the other supporting himself.

It had taken him back a little she had come to him for comfort, since she normally went to his lady for it... but she wasn’t here... 

the pale monarch took a pained hitched breath.

Every reminder of the absence of his family members no matter how many times he was reminded, hurt more and more... 

But he shoved it aside for now as he looked back down at his daughter.   
  


“what was troubling you?” He asked quietly his tone again weather he couldn’t help it or not was still a bit harsh, so he resulted in just going for being quieter.

his daughter didn’t look up at him, as her voice suddenly became shaky, sounding like she was on the verge of tears “I miss mama..I miss the white lady... I miss my sibling...” she said before looking up at her father slowly “I want them to come home...” she quivered...that’s when the tears started.   
  


the pale monarch drew his head back, as he looked down at the crying young child in his arms, suddenly slammed by a wave of emotion.   
  


Extreme guilt,

Depression,

Self hatred,

self loathing,

loneliness,

desperation,

the pale king found himself crying for the first time in what felt like a millennia, holding his daughter closer to him as he curled his tail closer around himself.

He had no idea why her crying had been what had broke him, he normally was able to keep his composure around others.   
  


he ultimately felt more guilty, at the more then subpar job he was at comforting his daughter.   
  


crying when she was the one that needed comfort

At that

he _never_ gave the pure vessel this...

He _never would_ have been _able_ to give any of the rest of his children this.

the hundreds upon thousands of vessels that died in the abyss

because of _him_

his daughter was crying 

Because of _him_

he but blamed himself

His sobbing only got worse.

‘I should have let them (the pure vessel) at least have a child hood, I shouldn’t have made them hollo-....’ the pale king thoughts trailed off.

a realization 

suddnely rembering all the times their eldest child was oddly 

_ever so slightly off_

acted _slightly_ out of bounds for something that it should be

_the hollow knight wasn’t hollow_


End file.
